Closed-conduit electric railway



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

v E. A. E. PETERSEN. CLOSED UONDUIT ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

No. 550,057. Patented .Nov; 19, 1895.

AN DREW BGRRKAM. PHUTO-UTHQWASHINGIOM D C (No Model.) v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. H. A. P. PETERSEN.

CLOSED GONDUIT ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

s i z jitor'nc ANDREW EGRMMM.PHUTO-UTHQWASEINHONJR UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

HERLUF A. F. PETERSEN, OF MILWAUKEE, WVISCONSIN.

CLOSED-CONDUIT ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 550,057, dated November 19, 1895. Application filed October 29, 1894:. Serial No. 527,279. (No model.)

To all whom it nuty concern:

Be it known that I, HERLUF A. F. PETER sEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee, State of \Visconsin, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Conduit Electric Railways; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled inthe art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in the construction of underground conduits for electric railways; and it consists in the matters hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is a vertical transverse sectional view of a railway-track provided with my improved conduit. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the conduit, showing the contact-carriers in operative position therein. Fig. 3 is a similar view illustrating a slightlydiiferent form of the contact-carrier. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the contact-shoes and their supporting arms or plates. I Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is an enlarged view showing portions of the conduit in section and showing in elevation the form of contact-carrier illustrated in Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail sectional view illustrating the arrangement of one form of the closing device. Fig. 8 is a similar view illustrating a different form of closing device. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the form of closing device shown in Figs. 5 and 8.

Referring by letter to said drawings, A designates my improved conduit, which is conveniently made from two sections A and A which are provided at their lower inner edges with flanges a a, extending upwardly or downwardly and adapted to be secured together by bolts a a. A partition B is secured at its lower edge between said flanges a a and extends vertically upward to a point near the top of the conduit and is provided with a lateral flange b, as shown. This partition serves to divide the conduit-casing into two longitudinal compartments 0 and D, respectively,

and the compartment 0 is provided at intervals with suitable connections 0, leading to a sewer, to permit water and accumulations of dirt which might find their way into the compartment 0 to be discharged into the sewer. The compartment D is arranged to contain the conductors E E, and said conductors are placed in any suitable or desired positions within said compartment and supported upon suitable insulators e e. Said conductors E E are preferably placed one above the other in the manner shown in the drawings and each arranged so as to expose one side or face for frictional contact with the contact devices, as will be presently described.

At suitable intervals along the line of the conduit I provide transversely arranged yokes F F, to which the conduit-sections may be secured in any desired manner, said yokes being provided with openings corresponding in size and shape to the interior of the conduit and adapted to register therewith, and provided with notches f and lugs f for engagement with the partition B.

The upper part of the compartment 0 is partially closed by the base of a rail G, which forms one of the rails of the track. This rail G may be made of any convenient form, but is preferably of substantially the form shown in the drawings, which is one of the well known styles of track-rails. A rail II is arranged adjacent to and parallel with a rail G, in the manner shown, the space between said rails G and H forming the slot through which the contact-carrier arm extends into the compartment C. The rail H extends downwardly to a point preferably a little below the upper edge of the partition'B and is provided with a lateral flange h opposite the flange b on said partition. The space between the flanges b and h forms a slot which extends from end to end of the conduit and through which the contact-carrier extends into the'compartment D, which contains the conductors.

Above the flange h of the rail 11 is conveniently provided a second lateral flange h, and a cover-plate I is arranged to rest at one edge upon said flange h, and at the other edge is provided with a longitudinal groove or channel i, which rests upon the upper edge of the part or section A of the conduit-casing. This cover-plate I may be readily removed when necessary, so as to afford access to the interior of the compartment D for the purpose of repairing or overhauling the wires or their connections.

A closing device for normally closing the space between the flanges 7L and Z) is provided, said closing device being conveniently constructed from a longitudinal strip J of flexible material of suificient width to rest upon said flanges h and b, in the manner shown. Any suitable means may be provided for holding said closing device in alignment such, for instance, as the devices shown in Figs. (3 and 7 which comprise suitable guidepinsjj, afiixed to the upper side of the flexible strip J and arranged to play upwardly through apertures in the cover-plate I; or, if desired, the construction shown in Figs. 5, 8, and 9 might be employed, in which suitable apertures or slots 7' j are formed in one edge of the flexible strip and guide-pins J J are arranged to extend vertically between the flanges 7L and h of the slot-rail II. It follows from this construction that the flexible strip J will normally rest by gravity upon the upper faces of the flanges band 71, so as to close the slot or passage between said flanges, and

thereby shut 01f the communication between the compartments 0 and D of the conduit. The closing-strip J is, however, free to rise when engaged by the contact-carrier, so as to permit the latter, with its contact devices, to extend into the compartment D.

My improved form of conduit may be located at anyconvenient point adjacent to the track of the railway to which it is applied, either between the track-rails or outside of the track, the form shown in the drawings being arranged just outside of one of the track-rails and said rail forming one side of the slot for the admission of the contact-carrier. In this construction the yokes F F are made of substantially the form shown in Fig. 1, the slot-rail II being bolted thereto, as shown, and suitable ties K being engaged at one side of the track with said yokes and suitably bolted or otherwise secured thereto, the other ends of the ties being embedded in the earth in the ordinary manner.

In order to keep the rail G securely in position and to obviate any liability of its tip ping out of position at any point, I provide at suitable intervals along the track transversely-arranged tie rods or bolts 7a, which connect the rail G at the side of the slot with the rail 1i at the opposite side of the track.

As shown in the drawings,the paving-blocks L are laid in the usual manner in the street, and the conduit is located at a sufficient depth below the surface of the street to permit paving-blocks to be laid upon the upper surface of the cover-plate I. As also shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, I prefer to apply a filling M of waterproof compound, such as asphaltum or the like, to the intersection of the lower walls of the conduit and the partition B, said filling serving to render the joint more thoroughly waterproof than if it were not covered with a waterproof material.

In connection with my improved form of conduit I employ a contact-carrier of the general construction shown in the drawings, said contact-carrier being made in the form of an arm N, which extends vertically downward through the slot between the rails G and II to a point below the lower edge of the latter, laterally past the line of said slot-rail, upwardly so as to extend through the slot between the flanges b and h, and again laterally, so as to enter the upper part of the compartment D. To the other end of the contact-carrier arm N arms or plates 0 O, of insulating material, such as vulcanized fiber or the like, are pivotally secured, and said arms or plates are arranged to extend downwardly within the compartment 1) and are provided at their extremities with contact-shoes o 0, respectively, which contact-shoes are adapted for engagement with the exposed faces of the conductors E E. The pivotal connections 11 between the end of the carrier-arm N and said arms or plates 0 0 permits of a vibrating or swinging movement of the arms or plates upon said support, and in order to hold said contact-shoes in firm but yielding engagement with the conductors E E springs I are interposed between the arms 0 0 and a lug or projection p 011 the arm N.

The arm N is made preferably flat and is provided with channels a n for the passage of the conducting wires or strips Q Q therethrough, and said conducting wires or strips are carried out through the side of said arm N, near its lower extremity, and are electrically connected with the contact-shoes o 0 by means of suitable belts or binding-posts q (1. Suitable binding-posts R R are provided upon the upper end of the arm N, as shown more particularly in Fig. 5, and said binding-posts have electrical connection with the upper ends of the strips or wires Q Q and serve to electrically connect the same with the terminals of the motor-circuit.

In order to permit of a vertical movement of the contact-carrier arm and in order to allow for any unevenness in the conduit, said arm N may be movably connected in any desired manner with the car-frame, and for this purpose I find it convenient to employ substantially the form of construction shown in Fig. 5, in which an arm S has a hinged connection .9 with the arm N, the pintle of which is arranged vertically, so as to permit of a considerable degree of oscillation or vibration of the arm N thereon. The other end of said arm S is provided with a ball l, adapted for engagement within. a socket '1', formed within a suitable hanger T, which is adapted for engagement with the car-frame. A spring t forms an elastic or yielding connection between the arm S and its support upon the car.

It follows from the foregoing construction that the arm N, earryin g the conducting wires or strips and extending through the upper part of the compartment 0 and through the passage between the flanges b and h into the compartment D, will by the described engagement of the contact-shoes with the conductors serve to convey the electric current from the conductors to the motor upon the car, and the arm extending through the slot between said flanges b and h, beneath the closing-strip J, will serve to raise the latter at its point of engagement with said carrier-arm. As the car advances the carrier-arm will move lengthwise of the conduit and will continually raise the closing-strip J in an obvious manner at the point where it engages with said strip, said strip closing by gravity as soon as said contact-carrier arm has passed. In order to prevent undue wear upon the contact-carrier and upon the closing-strip J and the edges of the slot, I may provide any suitable antifriction device-such, for instance, as the device shown in Figs. 2 and 5 of the drawings, which comprises a suitable roller U, which is suitably pivoted in bearings upon the arm N and is arranged to extend upward through the slot between the flanges b and h to a point somewhat above the horizontal part of the arm, so as to engage with and elevate the closing-strip J and prevent contact between the same and the arm N.

In order to prevent wear upon the surface of the contact-carrier where it comes into contact with the side of the slot, I may provide, in addition to the roller U, suit-able wearing-plates V V, of antifriction metal, such as Babbitt metal or the like; or, if desired, the wheel U might be entirely dispensed with and one of the wearing-plates of antifriction metal arranged to engage with the closing-strip J. In practice I prefer to apply the wearing-plates V V in substantially the manner shown in Fig. 6, in which suitable apertures or perforations V V are provided at convenient points in the arm N, and said antifriction-metal plates are cast or molded upon opposite sides of the arm and the metal permitted to flow through said apertures or perforations, so as to secure said wearing-plates to the surfaces of the arm. When these plates have been worn out, they may be readily removed from the carrier-arm by being chipped off from the surface of said arm, when the contact-pins or portions which pass through the apertures in said arm may be readily punched out. New wearing-plates may then be cast or molded onto the faces of the carrier-arm in the manner before described.

By my improved construction I am enabled to build underground conduits for electric railways which are very compact in form and which occupy comparatively little space under ground, and therefore necessitate comparatively little excavation for the laying of the conduit. Furthermore, the conduit, being formed from but few sections or parts, is easily manufactured and put together.

By the described construction of the conduit with the removable cover-plate I above the compartment D, which contains the conductors, ready access is afforded to the interiorof the compartment D whenever necessary for any purpose.

By the arrangement of the sewer connections 0, leading from the lower part of the compartment 0, any water which may enter said compartment through the slot in its upper wall is permitted to discharge into the sewer, so as not to flood the compartment 0, and any dirt or foreign matter which may drop through said slot is likewise permitted to pass into the sewer connections, so as not to clog or in any way obstruct the compartment 0.

By the arrangement of the flanges b and h and the closing-strip J, as described, the construction of. the closing device is rendered exceedingly simple in form and easy to re pair when necessary.

By the described construction of the supporting arms or plates 0 O for the contact devices 0 0 and the'described arrangement of the conductors E E, one above the other, the contact-shoes, as well as the conductors EE, are kept at a considerable distance apart and any liability of the current jumping or arcing across the space between the conductors or said contact-shoes is effectually prevented. Moreover, by the construction of said arms or plates 0 0 from insulating or non-conducting material the insulation of the contactshoes from each other is insured.

By the described construction of the conduit with the downwardly-closing strip J and the described construction of the slot-rails the liability of water finding its way from the slot in the upper part of the compartment 0 and through the slot into the compartment D is entirely obviated.

Having thus described my invention, .what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. An underground conduit for electric rail ways comprising a suitable longitudinal casing divided into two longitudinal passages or compartments, one of which is provided in its upper wall with a suitable slot communieating with the surface of the street or roadway, and the other of which is arranged to contain the conductors, the latter compartment being provided with a horizontally arranged extension arranged 'to project over a part of the upper portion of. the first mentioned compartment, and provided with a longitudinal slot and a downwardly operating closing device for normally closing said slot, substantially as described.

2. An underground conduit for electric railways comprising a suitable longitudinal casing divided into two longitudinal passages or compartments, one of which is provided in its upper wall with a suitable slot communicating with the surface of the street or roadway, and the other of which is arranged to contain the conductors, the latter compartment bein gprovided with a horizontally arranged extension arranged to project over a part of the upper portion of the first mentioned compartment, and provided with a longitudinal slot, a downwardly operating closing device for normally closing said slot, and suitable guides for holding said closing device in alignment, substantially as described.

3. An underground conduit for electric railway conductors, comprising a casing divided into two longitudinal passages or compart ments, one of which is provided in its upper part with a longitudinal slot communicating with the surface of the street or roadway, a slot rail at one side of said slot, arranged to depend into the upper part of said passage or compartment, and provided with a lateral flange, a lateral flange upon the upper edge of the partition between said compartments and adownwardly acting closing device arranged to rest by gravity upon said flanges, substantially as described.

4. An underground conduit for electric railway conductors, comprising a casing divided into two longitudinal passages or compartments, one of which is provided in its upper part with a longitudinal slot communicating with the surface of the street or roadway, a slot rail at one side of said slot, arranged to depend into the upper part of said passage or compartment, and provided with a lateral flange, a lateral flange upon the upper edge of the partition between said compartments, a downwardly acting closing device arranged to restby gravity upon said flanges, a second lateral flange upon said slot rail at a level 0011- siderably above the first mentioned flange, and a cover plate removably engaged with said upper flange, and with the wall of the other part of the conduit, substantially as described.

5. An underground conduit comprising the two sections A and A provided at their inner lower edges with the flanges a a, the partition B secured between said flanges and provided with the flange Z), the slot rail H provided with the flanges 71, it, the closing strip J adapted to rest upon said flanges Z) and 7t, and the cover plate I arranged to rest upon the flange 71, and the upper edge of the section A of the conduitcasing, substantially as described.

(5. Au underground conduit comprising the two sections A and A provided at their innor lower edges with the flanges a a, the partition B secured between said flanges and provided with the flange I), a filling M of waterproof or non-conducting material covering the joint or seam between said partition. and said flanges, the slot rail lI provided with the flanges 72 h, the closing strip J adapted to rest upon said flanges b and 72, and the cover plate 1 arranged to rest upon the flange 7L and the upper edge of the section A of the conduit casing, substantially as described.

7. The combination with the track of an electric railway, of a conduit located outside of said track and adjacent to one of the rails thereof, and comprising a suitable casing divided into two longitudinal passages or compartments, one of which is arranged to contain the conductors, and is provided with a horizontally disposed lateral extension in its upper part, projecting into or above the upper part of the other passage or compartment, and provided with a downwardly acting closing device, and said other compartment being provided in its upper wall with a longitudinal slot, one side of which is formed by one of the track rails, and the other side by a slot rail secured to the conduit casin g, substantially as described.

8. The combination with the track of an electric railway, of an underground conduit located wholly outside of the track, and ad jacent to one of the rails thereof, said conduit being formed from a casing having a longitudinal vertical partition dividing it into two passages or compartments, the passage or compartment which contains the conductors having a lateral projection arranged to extend into or above the upper part of the other passage or compartment, and provided with a slot and a downwardly acting closing device, and said other compartment being provided in its lower wall with suitable connections leading to a sewer, and in its upper wall with a longitudinal slot, one side of which is formed by one of the track rails, and the other side by a suitable slot rail. secured to the conduit casing, substantially as described.

9. The herein described conduit for underground clectric conductors comprisin the casing formed from the sections A A and the cover plate I with the vertical partition B arranged to separate said easing into two passages or compartments, yokes F arranged transversely with respect to the casing, and provided with suitable bracket-s carrying insulators for the support of the electric conductors, substantially as described.

10. The herein described conduit for underground electric conductors comprising the casing formed from the sections A A and the cover plate I with the vertical partition 13 arranged to separate said casin g into two passages or compartments, yokes F arranged transversely with respect to the casing, and provided with suitable brackets carrying insulators for the support of the electric conductors, and vertically disposed brackets upon the lower parts of said yokes adapted to engage with and support the lower side of said partition, substantially as described.

11. The combination with the conduit composed of: the sections A A and the cover plate I, with the vertical partition l of the yokes 1 provided with openings corresponding with the interior of the conduit, and provided in the lower margins of said openings,

with notches for the reception of the lower edge of said partition, and having vertical brackets adapted to be bolted to said partition, substantially as described.

12. The combination with the underground conduit formed from the sections A A the cover plate I and the partition 13, of the yokes F having openings coinciding with the interior of the conduit, the track rail G suitably secured to the yokes to form one side of the conduit slot, and the slot rail H secured to said yokes and arranged to form the other side of the conduit slot, substantially as described.

13. The combination with the underground conduit formed from the sections A A the cover plate I, and the partition B and track rails G G", of the yokes F having openings coinciding with the interior of the conduit, and each adapted for engagement at one side with. the track rail G- and one end' of a tie, and the slot rail H secured to said yokes so as to form the otherside of the conduit slot, substantially as described.

14. The combination with the conduit A, having the two compartments 0, D, the latter of which contains the two conductors arranged at different elevations, of a contact carrier adapted to extend downwardly into the compartment 0, laterally past the line of the slot rail, upwardly through the slot leading to the compartment D, and laterally into the upper part of said compartment D, and suitable contact carrying arms or plates of insulating material made of different lengths and extending downwardly from the extremity of said arm, and provided with suitable contact devices adapted for independent electrical contact with the conductors, substantially as described.

15. The combination with the conduit A, having the two compartments O, D, the latter of which contains the conductors, of a contact carrier adapted to extend downwardly into the compartment 0, laterally past the line of the slot rail, upwardly through the slot leading to the compartment D, and laterally into the upper part of said compartment D, and suitable contact carrying arms or plates extending downwardly from the extremity of said arm, and having movable engagement with the end of said arm, suitable springs for pressing the free ends of said arms or plates toward the conductors, and suitable contact devices secured to the free ends of said arms or plates and adapted for independent electrical contact with said conductors, substantially as described.

16. The combination with the conduit casing A, the partition B, the slot rails G and H, and the downwardly acting closing strip J, of the arm N, arranged to extend downwardly, laterally, upwardly and again laterally into the compartment containing the conductors, and a suitable antifriction device upon said arm adapted for engagement with said closing strip, substantially as described.

17. The combination with the conduit casing A, the partition 13, the slot rails G and H, and the downwardly acting closing strip J, of the arm N, arranged to extend downwardly, laterally, upwardly and again laterally into the compartment containing the conductors, and a lifting roller journaled upon said arm and adapted to engage with the under side of said closing strip to raise the latter, as the arm advances through the conduit, substantially as described.

18. The combination wit-l1 the conduit A, the partition B, provided with the horizontal flange b, the rail H, having the horizontal flange h, and the closing strip J, of the arm N, adapted to extend downwardly, laterally and upwardly between said flanges b and h, and again laterally into the upper part of the passage or compartment D, and wearing plates of antifriction metal secured to the'surfaces of said arm, at the points where said arm engages with said closing strip and the sides of the slot between said flanges, substantially as described.

19. The combination with the conduit A divided into two passages or compartments 0, D, the conductors E E located one above the other, and the contact carrier arm N, of arms or plates 0 O of insulating material, and made of different lengths, and each provided with a contact device for engagement with one of said conductors, substantially as described.

20. The combination with an underground conduit comprising the two longitudinal compartments O, D, the latter containing the electrical conductors, and the former provided with a slot arranged out of line with the compartment D, and a contact carrier arm adapted to extend downward through the slot in the conduit casing, and laterally into the compartment containing the conductors, and adapted to establish electrical connection between said conductors and the terminals of the motor circuit, the upper part of said carrier arm being formed from a flat plate, and an arm having a hinged connection at one end with one side of said arm, and at its other end having a universally adjustable connection with a hanger on the car, substantially as described.

21. The combination with an underground conduit comprising the two longitudinal compartments O, D, the lattercontaining the electrical conductors, and the former provided with a slot arranged out of line with the compartment D and a contact carrier arm adapted to extend downward through the slot in the conduit casing, and laterally into the compartment containing the conductors, and adapted to establish electrical connection between said conductors and the terminals of the motor circuit, the upper part of said carrier arm being formed from a flat plate, an arm having In testimony whereof I sign this speeification in the presence of two witnesses.

HERLUF A. F. PETERSEN.

\Vitnesses:

JO N E. WILEs, E. W. STOUT. 

